Closing device

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a closing device for drawing shut a door, flap or hood or a lid, in particular a rear lid of a motor vehicle. A closing bracket carrier has a closing bracket and is mounted on a bearing plate in a manner such that it can be displaced by means of a driving device between a standby position, in which the closing bracket is extended, and a closing position, in which the closing bracket is retracted. Whereas the bearing plate is provided for fastening to a front side of a closing bracket retaining section of a frame of the door, flap or hood or of the lid, the driving device is provided for fastening to a rear side of the closing bracket retaining section. The closing bracket retaining section is, for its part, provided for the fastening of a fixed closing bracket, so that either the fixed closing bracket or the closing device can be fastened to the closing bracket retaining section.

This application claims the priority of PCT/EP03/07755 filed Jul. 17,2003 which claims priority to Germany Application No. 102 35 608.4,filed Aug. 2, 2002 which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a closing device for drawing shut adoor, flap or hood or a lid, in particular a rear lid of a motorvehicle.

A passenger car, in particular, generally has two or four side doors, anengine hood and a rear lid or a rear door which are in each caseequipped with a lock which, for the purpose of closing the particularflap or door or the particular lid, interacts with a closing bracketwhich is fitted on a frame of the particular door or of the particularlid. In the case of comfortable vehicles, one of the side doors or thetailgate can be equipped with a closing device which facilitates thedrawing of the particular door or flap into the closing position. Inorder to close the rear lid or the side door, the user has to pivot themto only until the lock can interact with the closing bracket. Theremaining closing movement is then carried out automatically andindependently by the closing device.

A closing device of this type is advantageously fitted in a vehicle inconjunction with a driving device of a vehicle door (e.g., door,tailgate or rear lid), so that this driving device pivots the door untilthe lock interacts with the closing bracket and the closing device thendraws the door counter to the force of the deforming door seal into theclosing position.

DE 39 00 508 A1 discloses a closing device of the aforementioned typeand has a closing bracket carrier which carries a closing bracket andcan be displaced between a standby position, in which the closingbracket is extended, and a closing position, in which the closingbracket is retracted. Furthermore, a driving device is provided whichdrives the closing bracket carrier in order to displace it between thestandby position and the closing position. In the case of the knownclosing device, the closing bracket carrier has a protruding pin whichcan be displaced in a sliding manner in a guide groove. This guidegroove is formed to a slide which is mounted in a manner so that it canbe displaced transversely with respect to the displacement movement ofthe closing bracket or of the closing bracket carrier, and forms part ofthe driving device. In this device, the guide groove is shaped so thatthe closing bracket carrier, which is positively coupled thereto via thepin, can be moved between the standby position and the closing positionduring a displacement movement of the slide. The slide is driven in onedirection with the aid of a cable pull and in the other direction withthe aid of a restoring spring. The displacement movement of the closingbracket or of the closing bracket carrier takes place in a purelytranslatory manner. For this purpose, the closing bracket carrier ismounted in a bidirectionally displaceable manner on a console which isfastened to the frame of the rear lid. The slide is also mounted on thisconsole. The cable pull for actuating the slide leads to a motor whichis accommodated on a side wall in the trunk.

DE 42 30 985 C2 discloses another known closing device of theaforementioned type in and likewise comprises a closing bracket carrierwhich has a closing bracket and can be displaced between a standbyposition in which the closing bracket is extended, and a closingposition in which the closing bracket is retracted. A driving device,also with a cable pull and a restoring spring, drives the closingbracket carrier in order to displace it between the standby position andthe closing position. In this embodiment too, the closing bracketcarrier is mounted in a bidirectionally displaceable manner on aconsole. The closing bracket carrier is provided with a pin whichengages in a guide slot. This guide slot is formed in a guide leverwhich is mounted pivotably on the console. The guide lever forms part ofthe driving device, with the cable pull, on the one hand, and therestoring spring, on the other hand, engaging on the guide lever. Theconsole is fastened to the frame of the rear lid, that is to the edge ofthe trunk opening. A motor of the driving device is arranged at adistance therefrom at another suitable location in the trunk. In orderto displace the closing bracket carrier, the guide lever is pivoted viathe cable pull or via the restoring spring, in which case the closingbracket carrier, which is positively coupled to it via the guide slotand the pin, is displaced in a corresponding manner between its closingposition and its standby position.

The construction of the known closing devices is relatively complicated;in particular, the known closing devices require a relatively highinstallation outlay. A particular disadvantage of the known closingdevices is the fact that they require in each case a relatively largeinstallation space, with the consequence that the vehicle equippedtherewith requires a special manufacturing process in the region of theframe which is designed for fastening the console. For the situation inwhich a closing device of this known type is to be installed in theparticular vehicle only as a special feature, this results in relativelyhigh costs because the frame which is provided for the attachment of astandard, fixed closing bracket is not suitable for the attachment ofthe closing device or of the console thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to overcome the problem ofspecifying, for a closing device of the aforementioned type byproviding, an improved device which, in particular, can be installedmore easily and less expensively, and which permits betterstandardization particularly with regard to fixed closing brackets ofthe same vehicle model.

This problem has been solved according to the present invention based onthe general recognition of using, for the fastening of the closingdevice, a closing bracket retaining section which is formed on the frameof the door, flap or hood or of the lid and is provided for thefastening of a standard, fixed closing bracket, for which purpose theclosing device is adapted in a suitable manner to this closing bracketretaining section.

According to the present invention, this adaptation takes place by theclosing bracket carrier being mounted on a bearing plate which isconfigured for fastening to a front side of the closing bracketretaining section while the driving device is configured for fasteningto a rear side of the closing bracket retaining section. The functionalseparation of the closing bracket carrier from the driving deviceenables the two components to be fitted on both sides of the closingbracket retaining section, thus making it possible, in particular, forconstruction space to be saved.

The adaptation of the closing device, which is conceived as a specialfeature, to the closing bracket retaining section, which is provided fora standard feature, makes it possible, during installation, either toattach the standard, fixed closing bracket or the closing device of thespecial feature to the closing bracket retaining section. Because nochanges are therefore required on the bodywork, the closing deviceaccording to the present invention can be realized on a vehicle atreasonable cost.

According to one currently particularly advantageous embodiment, theclosing bracket carrier can be mounted rotatably on the bearing plateand can be displaced between the standby position and the closingposition by pivoting about a pivot axis. In this case, the closingbracket carrier has a driving arm which, with respect to the closingbracket, protrudes from the closing bracket carrier in a direction awayfrom the pivot axis on a side of the closing bracket carrier that facesaway from the pivot axis. In this embodiment, the driving device isprovided with a driving element which is fastened to a carrier plate andinteracts with an end section of the driving arm, which section isremote from the pivot axis, in order to pivot the closing bracketcarrier.

The carrier plate has a supporting arm which protrudes from the carrierplate in the direction of the pivot axis, with a supporting arm endsection which is remote from the driving element being provided forfastening to the rear side of the closing bracket retaining section. Byvirtue of these measures, a rotatory displacement movement about aneccentric pivot axis is produced for the closing bracket. This novelkinematics arrangement permits the use of other, hitherto unusabledriving elements, as a result of which the complete closing device canbe of very compact construction and, in particular, is fastened incomplete form—apart from switches, cables, power supply—to the closingbracket retaining section and, in particular, can be accommodated in theframe of the particular flap or hood or of the particular lid.

According to one feature of the present invention, in the fitted state,the closing bracket retaining section, the bearing plate, the closingbracket carrier, the driving arm, the carrier plate and the supportingarm can extend in each case essentially parallel to a plane which runsperpendicularly with respect to the pivot axis. This permits aparticularly flat construction of the closing device. In this sense,“flat” is understood to mean a relatively small dimension in thedirection of the pivot axis; in particular, the closing device issmaller parallel to the pivot axis than transversely thereto.

A further advantageous embodiment is characterized in that, in thefitted state, the driving element, the supporting arm and the drivingarm are arranged essentially along or in the vicinity of a straightline. These measures produce a relatively long stretched-outconstruction for the closing device. That is, the closing device isconsiderably larger in the direction of this straight line thantransversely thereto. This construction makes it possible for theclosing device according to the present invention to be accommodatedparticularly easily in a cavity in the frame of the particular lid or ofthe particular door or hood.

It should be clearly understood that the features mentioned above andthose which will be explained in detail below can be used not only inthe respectively stated combination, but also in other combinations oron their own without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an assembled closing device in accordance withthe present invention,

FIG. 2 is an isolated view of a driving device of the closing deviceshown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an isolated view of a closing bracket carrier of the closingdevice shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the closing device of FIG. 1 fitted into aframe,

FIG. 5 is a perspective detail view of the closing device shown in FIG.4 but in a different viewing direction,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but with a fixed closing bracket,

FIG. 7 is a perspective isolated view of the closing bracket shown inFIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective isolated view of a retaining plate of theclosing bracket shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As seen in FIG. 1, a closing device 1 includes a closing bracket carrier2 and a driving device 3. With the aid of the closing device 1, aconventional lid, door flap or hood (not illustrated), in particular ofa motor vehicle, can be drawn shut. The closing device 1 is preferablyused in a passenger car for drawing shut the rear lid or trunk lid orthe rear door. In principle, it is also contemplated for it to be usedin a vehicle side door.

The closing bracket carrier 2 has a closing bracket 4 and can bedisplaced between the closing position (shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) and astandby position, which is raised with respect to the position of theclosing bracket 4 and is indicated in FIG. 1 by an interrupted or dashedline. Accordingly, in the standby position the closing bracket 4 is in araised or extended state while, in the closing position, it takes up aretracted or lowered position. The closing bracket 4 interacts in aconventional manner with a lock which is accommodated in the particulardoor, flap or hood or in the particular lid. The driving device 3 iscoupled in terms of drive to the closing bracket carrier 2 and drivesthe latter in order to displace it between the standby position and theclosing position.

According to FIGS. 1 and 3, the closing bracket support 2 is mounted ona bearing plate 5 which has at least one (two as illustrated), plug-inopenings 6 into which fastening screws 7 (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5) can beinserted. In the illustrated embodiment, the closing bracket carrier 2is mounted on the bearing plate 5 to rotate about a pivot axis 8, sothat the closing bracket carrier 2 can be displaced by pivoting betweenthe standby position and the closing position via rotational movement.The desired displacement travel for the closing bracket 4 is produced bya corresponding, eccentric arrangement of the same.

For at least one of the fastening screws 7, the closing bracket carrier2 contains an advantageously elongated-hole-shaped aperture 9 which isshaped in such that, in each relative position of the closing bracketcarrier 2, one of the plug-in openings 6 is overlapped to allow that theassociated fastening screw 7 (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5) to be fitted and isaccessible through this aperture 9.

The closing bracket carrier 2 has a driving arm 10 which protrudes fromthe closing bracket carrier 2 in a direction leading away from the pivotaxis 8. The driving arm 10 and pivot axis 8 are formed, with respect tothe closing bracket 4, on mutually opposite sides of the closing bracketcarrier 2. On its end section 11 facing away from or remote from thepivot axis 8, the driving arm 10 has a fork-like configuration 12.

The closing bracket carrier 2 is constructed so that it extends, apartfrom the closing bracket 4, in a plane which runs perpendicularly withrespect to the pivot axis 8, and is situated parallel to the plane ofthe drawing. The closing bracket 4 protrudes from the closing bracketcarrier 2 perpendicularly with respect to this plane, i.e. parallel tothe pivot axis 8. Furthermore, the fork 12, the closing bracket 4 andthe pivot axis 8 lie essentially on a straight line which is notreferred to specifically here.

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the driving device 3 has a driving element13 in the form of, for example, an electric motor with a gear mechanism.The driving element 13 also comprises here a segmented gearwheel 14 onwhich a pin 15 is formed eccentrically with respect to the rotation axisof the gearwheel 14. During a rotational displacement of the gearwheel14, the pin 15 moves correspondingly on a circular path. In theassembled state according to FIG. 1, this pin 15 engages in the fork end12. A rotation of expediently 180° permits, the gearwheel 14 to pivotthe closing bracket carrier 2, which is positively coupled thereto,between the closing position and the standby position.

The driving element 13 is fastened to a carrier plate 16 of the drivingdevice 3. The carrier plate 16 has a supporting arm 17 which, in theassembled state of FIG. 1, protrudes from the carrier plate 16 in thedirection of the pivot axis 8. On its end section 18 facing away fromthe driving element 13, the supporting arm 17 has, for each fasteningscrew 7 (cf. FIGS. 4 and 5), a threaded opening 19 into which theparticular fastening screw 7 can be screwed. The driving element 13, inparticular also the gearwheel 14, the carrier plate 17 and the endsection 18 thereof, are expediently also oriented here with respect to astraight line. Furthermore, the carrier plate 17 extends essentiallylikewise in a plane which runs perpendicularly with respect to the pivotaxis 8 and therefore parallel to the plane of the drawing.

In the assembled state shown in FIG. 1, the pin 15, which engages in thefork end 12, the fork end 12 itself, the closing bracket 4 and the pivotaxis 8 lie essentially on a straight line.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the closing device 1 is installed in a closingbracket retaining section 20 which is formed in a cutout 21 in or on aframe 22 of the door, flap or hood or of the lid which is to be drawnshut with the aid of the closing device 1. In this illustratedembodiment, the frame 22 forms the boundary of an opening which can beclosed with the aid of the particular lid or with the aid of theparticular flap, lid or door in a generally known manner. For example,the frame 22 forms the rear boundary of a trunk or loading compartment.

According to the present invention, the closing device 1 is installed sothat the bearing plate 5 is fastened to a front side of the closingbracket retaining section 20, which front side faces the observer inFIGS. 4 and 5. In contrast thereto, the driving device 3 is fastened viathe free end section 18 of the supporting arm 17 to a rear side of theclosing bracket retaining section 20, which rear side faces away fromthe observer. For this purpose, the closing bracket retaining section 20contains, for each fastening screw 7, a passage opening 23 into whichthe particular fastening screw 7 can be inserted. The bearing plate 5and the supporting arm 17 are fastened via the fastening screws 7 by thelatter being inserted from the side facing the observer into the plug-inopenings 6 of the bearing plate 5, through the passage openings 23 ofthe closing bracket retaining section 20 and into the threaded openings19 of the free end section 18 of the supporting arm 17 and being screwedtherein. The aperture 9, which has already been described above, is thefeature through which a fastening screw 7 is accessible and can befitted.

So that the screwing of the bearing plate 5 and of the supporting arm 17to the closing bracket retaining section 20 works, the arrangement ofthe plug-in openings 6 and of the threaded openings 19 is formedcongruently to the arrangement of the passage openings 23.

As is particularly clearly seem in FIGS. 1 and 4, in the fitted state,the closing bracket retaining section 20, the bearing plate 5, theclosing bracket carrier 2, the driving arm 10, the carrier plate 16 andthe supporting arm 17 in each case run essentially parallel to oneanother and accordingly essentially perpendicularly with respect to thepivot axis 8, i.e., at least in FIG. 1, also parallel to the plane ofthe drawing. Accordingly, the closing device 1 according to the presentinvention is of relatively flat construction in the assembled state,i.e. the fitted closing device 1 is of a relatively small size in thedirection of the pivot axis 8, in particular is smaller than in thedirections running transversely with respect to the pivot axis 8.

Furthermore, it can be seen relatively easily from FIGS. 1 and 4 that,in the fitted state, an essentially rectilinear orientation is producedfor the driving element 13, the carrier plate 16 and the closing bracketcarrier 2. Accordingly, the driving element 13, the supporting arm 17and the driving arm 10 are arranged essentially along or in the vicinityof a straight line. This results in a long stretched-out constructionfor the closing device 1, i.e. the extent of the closing device 1 inthis longitudinal direction is significantly larger than transverselythereto.

Overall, the proposed construction results in a relatively lowrequirement for construction space, with the result that, in particular,the closing device 1, as here can be accommodated, in the frame 22.

Referring to FIG. 5, a window 24 is provided in the region of thecut-out/recess 21 and the driving arm 10 is guided through the window tothe driving device 3.

FIG. 6 shows the same detail of the frame 22 in which is formed thecut-out/recess 21 in which the closing bracket retaining section 20 ofthe frame 22 is arranged. Instead of the closing device 1 according tothe present invention, a conventional, fixed closing bracket 25 isfastened in FIG. 6 to this closing bracket retaining section 20. In thisinstance, the fixed closing bracket 25 is formed on a retaining plate 26which is fitted to the front side of the closing bracket retainingsection 20, which front side faces the observer. A fastening plate 27(illustrated by an interrupted or dashed line) is fitted to the rearside of the closing bracket retaining section 20, which rear side facesaway from the observer as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the retaining plate 26is also provided with two plug-in openings 28 while the fastening plate27 contains two threaded openings 29. The plug-in openings 28 and thethreaded openings 29 are again arranged congruently to the passageopenings 23 of the closing bracket retaining section 20, so that theretaining plate 26 together with the fastening plate 27 can be screwedagainst the closing bracket retaining section 20 with the aid of thefastening screws 7 (cf. FIG. 6).

The closing device 1 should be configured such that it can be fastenedinstead of the fixed closing bracket 25 or instead of the retainingplate 26 and the fastening plate 27 to the closing bracket retainingsection 20. In the currently preferred embodiment shown here, theclosing device 1 uses the two passage openings 23 of the closing bracketretaining section 20, which openings are provided per se for theattachment of the fixed closing bracket 25.

Whereas the fixed closing bracket 25 can be a feature of a motor vehiclethat is provided as standard, the closing device 1 generally forms aspecial feature variant. Because no changes have to be carried out tothe frame 22 or to the closing bracket retaining section 20 when theclosing device 1 of the present invention is used, the closing device 1can be fitted instead of the fixed closing bracket 25 in a particularlysimple manner and at reasonable cost. In particular, the presentinvention also makes it possible to replace the fixed closing bracket 25with the closing device 1 in the after-market.

The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate theinvention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of thedisclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of theinvention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention shouldbe construed to include.

1.-11. (canceled)
 12. A system having a fixed closing bracket and aclosing device for drawing shut a door, flap, hood or a lid having aframe, wherein (a) the fixed closing bracket has fastening openingsarranged congruently to passage openings which contain a closing bracketretaining section of the frame; (b) the closing device has a closingbracket carrier with a closing bracket and being displaceable between astandby position, in which the closing bracket is extended, and aclosing position, in which a closing bracket is retracted, (c) theclosing device has a driving device arranged to drive the displaceclosing bracket carrier between the standby position and the closingposition, (d) the closing bracket carrier is mounted on a bearing plateso as to be displaceable between the standby position and the closingposition, and (e) the bearing plate has openings congruent to thefastening openings, whereby, it being possible, using the passageopenings the closing device and optionally the fixed closing bracket arefastenable to the closing bracket retaining section.
 13. The system asclaimed in claim 12, wherein the bearing plate is fastenable to a frontside of the closing bracket retaining section, and the driving device isfastenable to a rear side of the closing bracket retaining section. 14.The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein that the openings of thebearing plate are plug-in openings for fastening screws, the drivingdevice has threaded openings for the fastening screws, and the plug-inopenings and the threaded openings are arranged congruent to anarrangement of the passage openings formed in the closing bracketretaining section.
 15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein theclosing bracket carrier has at least one aperture configured to coverone of the plug-in openings and through which one of the fasteningscrews is fittable.
 16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein theclosing bracket carrier is rotatable mounted on the bearing plate and isdisplaceable between the standby position and the closing position abouta pivot axis, the closing bracket carrier has a driving arm which, withrespect to the closing bracket, protrudes away from the closing bracketcarrier in a direction away from the pivot axis on a side of the closingbracket carrier that faces away from the pivot axis, the driving devicehas a driving element fastened to a carrier plate to interact with anend section of the driving arm, which section is remote from the pivotaxis to pivot the closing bracket carrier, the carrier plate has asupporting arm protruding from the carrier plate in the direction of thepivot axis, and an end section of the supporting arm, which end sectionis remote from the driving element, is for fastenable to the rear sideof the closing bracket retaining section.
 17. The system as claimed inclaim 16, wherein the driving element drives a pin on a circular path,and the end section of the driving arm has a fork for engaging the pin.18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein in a fitted state, thepin, the fork, the closing bracket and the pivot axis lie essentially ona straight line.
 19. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein in afitted state, the closing bracket retaining section, the bearing plate,the carrier plate and the supporting arm extend essentially parallel toa plane which runs perpendicularly with respect to the pivot axis. 20.The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the driving element drives apin on a circular path, and the end section of the driving arm has afork for engaging the pin.
 21. The system as claimed in claim 20,wherein in a fitted state, the pin, the fork, the closing bracket andthe pivot axis lie essentially on a straight line.
 22. The system asclaimed in claim 16, wherein in a fitted state, the driving element, thesupporting arm and the driving arm are arranged essentially along or inthe vicinity of a straight line.
 23. The system as claimed in claim 12,wherein the closing device is configured to be used to draw shut a motorvehicle rear lid.
 24. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein thefixed closing bracket is formed on a retaining plate which has thefastening openings configured as plug-in openings for fastening screwsand a fastening plate has threaded openings for the fastening screws,whereby the retaining plate and the fastening plate are screwableagainst the closing bracket retaining section with the fastening screws.